Tokyo: Japan on Saturday marked 71 years since the city of Hiroshima was destroyed by a US atomic bomb, as its mayor urged the world to unite in abolishing nuclear weapons. The annual ceremony came just months after Barack Obama became the first sitting US president to visit the western Japanese city, paying moving tribute to victims of the devastating bomb.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe carries a wreath to offer in front of the cenotaph dedicated to the victims of the atomic bombing at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on Saturday.